Underperforming FIU healed, ready for first FAU campus visit

Panthers had two weeks to prepare for Friday night game

BOCA RATON — FIU will have an advantage heading into what could be the final Shula Bowl at FAU Stadium Friday night.

While the Owls will have a shortened week to prepare for the rare Friday night game, the Golden Panthers will have had 12 days to prepare for the game.

At this point in the season, any coach would welcome the break, and FIU's Mario Cristobal is no different. But the former University of Miami offensive lineman doesn't think that the extra week is enough to field a full-strength squad.

"If you're banged up by week 11, you're going to heel up in the offseason," Cristobal told reporters this week.

FIU redshirt sophomore Jake Medlock will make his second start against FAU Friday. He led the Panthers to a 34-point win over the Owls last season.

Medlock and FIU's running back Kedrick Rhodes have battled injuries all season as the Panthers went from preseason conference favorites to their current position in the cellar of the Sun Belt.

Medlock's performances have been inconsistent when he's been on the field. He followed back-to-back 300-yard games with two straight sub-200-yard performances.

Rhodes, a preseason first-team selection, has been equally mercurial. He ran for only 39 yards against Western Kentucky, only to rush for over 100 yards in the first half against South Alabama.

Friday will be FIU's first visit to FAU Stadium, and it could well be the last. The Panthers will head to Conference USA next season, and all indications are that it's unlikely that the rivalry would be renewed in football in the near future.